


Tag Team Troubles

by karasunovolleygays



Series: Sportsfest 2019 [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Sports Festival, enemies to comrades
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24924082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karasunovolleygays/pseuds/karasunovolleygays
Summary: In a sick twist of fate, Kindaichi finds himself paired with his worst enemy for the Kitagawa Daiichi Sports Festival.
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Kindaichi Yuutarou
Series: Sportsfest 2019 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1802278
Kudos: 61
Collections: non-karasuno kageships





	Tag Team Troubles

“Oh, man.” Kindaichi groans at the ceiling when he looks at his assigned partner for the school sports festival. “Kill me now.”

Kunimi peeks over Kindaichi’s shoulder and smirks when he sees it. “That should be interesting. Either he’ll have to try his best to not be a dick, or you’ll have to do your best to not rip his head off and roast it.”

With a sigh, Kindaichi shakes his head. “Avoiding him at volleyball practice is one thing because everyone knows what happened, but regular school stuff is different.”

He cringes when he lets the thought trickle into his brain. All his protestations sound like an ultra whiny version of ‘he was mean to me’, which would earn him an eye roll at best from the gym teacher who is arranging the event.

“I can do this,” Kindaichi says aloud, more to himself than to Kunimi. “I can survive one afternoon being stuck with Kageyama. At least I know he’ll try.” He shivers. “Maybe that’s worse.”

“Good luck.” Kunimi gives him a thumbs up when he checks his own assigned sports festival partner, a quiet but polite guy from the basketball team. “You’re going to need it.”

“Oh, boy.” 

Half an hour later, the entire third year student body at Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School congregates on the soccer field next to the school, where a myriad of various tests of physical prowess await them. It doesn’t take Kindaichi long to spot Kageyama; he’s the one at the back of the crowd with storm clouds and carrion birds hovering over him like an invisible tornado. 

As unhappy as Kindaichi is, he wonders if Kageyama is madder. That though makes him smirk as he saunters up to his poorly chosen partner. 

“I hope you know I plan on winning,” Kindaichi snaps, arms crossed as he stares at the gym coach, who keeps patting down his pockets looking for something. Probably his reading glasses, which are on the top of his head like they usually are when he can’t find them. 

Kageyama nods. “Good.”

It’s more irritating than Kindaichi would have thought to have Kageyama agree with him on literally anything, but he swallows it down and bounces on the balls of his feet to get his legs warmed up for a full day of sweat. 

The first competition is the obstacle course relay, which the two of them win easily. Kageyama is flexible and strong so he can maneuver the terrain, and Kindaichi is tall enough to just leap over most of them. That, and they basically work alone save for the ratty old yukata they have to hand off to the other before completing the second leg. 

Kindaichi’s gangly limbs suffer in the jump rope marathon, but Kageyama’s every single movement is sharp. He’s still jumping rope a full minute after the last of the competitors aside from him finally trip up.

He will never utter the words out loud even if his life depends on it, Kindaichi is actually enjoying himself. His howl of victory at the end of the bucket run earns him a few raised brows and something suspiciously close to a smile from Kageyama.

The last event of the day, however, punctures his mood almost immediately. Here it comes, the demon of all sports festivals: the three-legged race. 

“Shit,” he hisses under his breath, and Kageyama gives him a solemn nod. If their time together at this school has taught him anything, it’s that the two of them do not work well together. At all. 

From a few strides away, Kunimi bites back a smile which only widens when Kindaichi flips him off. 

The space between them is uncomfortably absent when the bright purple bungee links them at the ankles. Part of him wants to come up with a gameplan so they can win, but a far pettier part toys with the idea of planting his feet like trees the moment Kageyama starts trying to boss him around. And it will happen.

A shrill whistle signals the beginning of the race, and three strides in Kindaichi knows they’re in trouble. Kageyama’s shorter strides combined with their incongruent speeds sends them lurching to the grass twice before they get so much as ten meters away from the starting line. 

Kindaichi can see Kageyama seething next to him. Who he’s angry with, he doesn’t know or care so long as he keeps his big trap shut. 

‘Third time’s a charm’ is a myth that belongs to an alternate universe, Kindaichi muses as they crash to the turf yet again. This time, it’s a curse. He can see Kageyama’s face twist when his free ankle lands at a bad angle. 

“Oh, crap,” Kindaichi murmurs while watching Kageyama struggle to his feet. He’s able to stand, but the moment he shifts his weight onto it, it buckles. 

Face racked with pain, Kageyama faces forward and readies himself to finish the race. Kindaichi’s eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

“I’m tired of losing,” Kageyama grunts, and he takes a shaking step forward. 

It’s a meaningless event at a school they’re both leaving in less than a week, but Kindaichi can’t quite squelch the flash of admiration for his greatest rival. The going is slow, but they’re going.

Falling to last place is inevitable, but Kindaichi’s skin itches when they do. A sideways glance at Kageyama tells him his partner feels the same. Were their positions reversed, Kindaichi would be boiling on the inside at the thought of being the weak link.

An idea thrusts itself in the forefront, and it’s just stupid enough to work. “Do you mind hanging your weight from your arms?”

“What?”

With a few shuffles and ill-placed elbows, Kindaichi backs up against Kageyama, their bound feet facing opposite directions. As instructed, Kageyama extends his arms straight out behind him, and Kindaichi places his shoulders underneath. Gripping Kageyama’s biceps with every scrap of strength he can muster, he hoisted his teammate off the ground enough to take the weight off of Kageyama’s ankle.

“Do it,” Kageyama hisses, and Kindaichi doesn’t mind complying with that command. 

His shoulders scream as they tote around an entire other person at a stupidly uncomfortable angle, though it probably pales against how much it probably hurts for Kageyama. But copious hours’ worth of running have prepared him for this last mad dash for glory.

Slowly, they overtake the rest of the racers, drawing stares from participants and spectators alike with their bizarre tactics. It’s a photo finish when Kindaichi barrels across the finish line just before the two of them crash to the ground. 

Ignoring the shooting pain in his tailbone, Kindaichi quickly unbinds himself from Kageyama, and they sprawl out in the grass the moment they’re both free, staring up at the same brilliant blue sky. Maybe there aren’t as many clouds as he thought.


End file.
